Nonrenewable energy sources represent about 90% of the energy used today. These sources are being depleted. Since they are known to have an effect on air quality, causing human and environmental health problems, a greater emphasis is being placed on renewable energy sources as the new frontier for energy. Renewable energy sources consist of solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal and ocean. These sources of energy will never become exhausted and are environmentally friendly, since they do not contribute to greenhouse effects or global warming.

Solar energy is the most readily available renewable energy source. We have used the sun’s energy for billions of years. Prehistoric men magnified its strength to start fires. Today, solar panels absorb energy from the sun to produce heat for cooking and heating, as well as, for electrical needs. This heat absorption is stored for later use and is an indirect conversion of energy. Currently, electric companies are trying to use photovoltaic technologies to convert solar energy directly to electricity.

Hydro energy draws on energy produced by flowing water. Waves are the result of wind interacting with the surface of the sea. This interaction produces a transfer of energy that can be extracted for power generation using turbine generators. Although hydropower is non-polluting, it can do environmental harm. Hydroelectric generating stations can change the flow of the sea and in doing so harm plants and animals.

Wind energy, or kinetic energy, is drawn from the movement of air. It has been used for hundreds of years for sailing, grinding grain and irrigation. Today, wind turbines transform energy from wind to mechanical energy or to charge batteries. The wind machines, or wind turbines collect the kinetic energy by capturing the wind in its blades. The blades then turn an electric generator to produce energy. Unfortunately, wind energy collection is unavailable on windless days. Even though it is a clean form of energy it has had a negative effect on the wild bird population and some consider the giant wind turbine machines not attractive looking.

Biomass energy comes from wood, garbage, food crops, manure, grasses and plants, agricultural and forestry waste and residue. It basically comes from refuse. This renewable energy is also not new. It was used over 100 years ago in the form of wood burning, which supplied 90% of energy needs at that time. When biomass is burned, it produces heat or electricity. It can also be converted to methane gas, which is the main ingredient of natural gas. It represents 3% of the energy in the United States. Although biomass can pollute the air and releases a greenhouse gas, it is not as pollutant as fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy is basically the Earth’s heat. It is drawn from hot dry rocks, magma, hot water springs and hot geysers. These are found inside the Earth’s underground. Some are found deep in the earth’s surface and others are found closer to the surface. Today, this type of energy is used to heat water in swimming pools and spas, as well as, to warm buildings like greenhouses. It can also be used to produce electricity through the use of a geothermal power plant. In these plants the hot water travels through turbines, which are connected to a generator.

Ocean Energy is obtained from ocean waves or temperature differences in water. Wave energy is the kinetic energy from the movement of water. Tidal energy entails trapping tidal waves in reservoirs behind dams. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses the differences in water temperatures from the surface water to deeper down depths of water as an energy source. In order for this to work there must be a temperature difference of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

As you can see, there are various renewable energy sources available to us as an alternative to fossil fuels. There are many advantages to them among the most popular being that they will not deplete in supply, meaning they will be around forever. Renewable energy sources are not new. They have been utilized in some way for many years. Unfortunately, low fossil fuel prices have stunted renewable energy’s popularity and growth in the United States. But an increasing awareness of human and environmental concerns, as well as, a need to find non-exhaustible energy sources, will keep it as a mainstay for the future.

There are many ways to implement your plan to convert your home from being totally fossil fuel dependent to making use of renewable energy sources.

* Solar Energy – You can have installed solar hot water panels to heat your water. And you can install solar panels which use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. These systems can be expensive if purchasing them and having them installed professionally, but there are many good resources available so you can make your own solar panels and solar hot water system, which will reduce the expense by many thousands of dollars.

* Passive Solar Design – If you are building a new home, a really good way to make it energy efficient and so cut your power bills, is to implement passive solar design principles during your house’s construction. This means having large areas of windows on the south side (in the northern hemisphere – the north side in the southern hemisphere) of your home. You should also have heat-retaining brick, stone, or concrete in your south-facing rooms to store the heat during the day; as the outside temperature drops at evening, the heat from the thermal mass will warm the air in the room, thereby reducing your heating requirements.

* Windmills – Another way to take advantage of renewable energy sources is by harnessing the wind to produce pollution-free electricity. Windmills can be installed on rooftops or in yards, or if you live out of town, in the fields. Windmills are available commercially but there is also quite a wide variety of reasonably priced kits available for anyone who is keen to do their own and so lower the costs significantly.

* Water Power – If you have a property with a stream on it, you can further add to the efficiency of your alternative energy home with hydro-electric power. This is another great, pollution-free power source which is easy to look after and works as long as there is water available.

The ultimate green energy home would combine all of these resources. You are not only looking at huge savings, and even possible profits, from your electricity usage by utilizing solar, wind, and water to create your home’s power, but you would also be contributing to a cleaner, greener, Earth, as these simple, natural, renewable options don’t produce the greenhouse gas emissions which are causing global warming.

By adding passive solar design and a solar hot water system to the mix, you would further reduce your energy needs, exponentially, and would be truly living well – living green.

A renewable energy home doesn’t require more maintenance than traditional homes. Solar technologies require little to no maintenance, while just a regular oiling will keep wind and water turbines at peak performance. There is no better time to create your green energy home.

Do yourself and the world a favour – it will be something you can be proud of.

The main benefits of residential solar energy systems is that you can reduce your monthly electricity bills by 80%. You can thus save the monthly bills, Even on a sunny day so you can save the monthly bills and, you may lead to excessive electricity and, if your residential solar power system is grid bolt, you can even sell surplus electricity leads to power marketing company.

In addition to the above residential solar systems beyond the practical benefits, other non-tangible benefits include those to help us in controlling pollution and protecting our Earth from global warming. Solar electricity is generated by a renewable source of lead, and it does not produce any sulfur or nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and other particulate matter, and residential solar energy systems to help us balance the atmosphere and life on Earth.

You can also have the benefit of residential solar energy systems for yourself and your family the cost reduction of the normal electricity bills and at the same time help to all human life on earth to protect the environment and the planet earth. Therefore, the contribution to doing our planet a safe place to live by installing your own residential solar systems.

You take the help of the instructions can be used to guide the form, and can only install your initial investment with a home of their own solar system, $ 200.  There are a number of guides available, and you can take help is cheaper and can be made online and in simple language that contains all the instructions of an appropriate guide to even uneducated people can do and installation of residential solar energy systems, without further assistance. ]]> http://beran-env.com/home-solar-power-systems-benefits.html/feed 0